Dozens of people gathered Saturday at Central Assembly of God to celebrate over 20 years of service by the Rev. Jim Harriger, who has served as executive director of Victory Mission since 1993 and is retiring at the end of the month.

Among the attendees were church friends, Victory Mission staffers and Springfield City Council member Ken McClure, who, on behalf of the mayor, proclaimed Jan. 22 as "Rev. Jim Harriger Day" in Springfield.

Speaking to the crowd, Harriger expressed his thanks for being able to help people in a variety of ways during his time leading Victory Mission, as well as his commitment to keep serving his God in the next chapter of his life.

Buy Photo

The Rev. Jim Harriger and his wife, Mary, laugh as they are embraced by Larry Perkins during Harriger's retirement ceremony, held at Central Assembly of God in Springfield on Jan. 23, 2016.(Photo: Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/News-Leader)

Read or Share this story: http://sgfnow.co/1Vh8NZe

From The USA TODAY NETWORK

These sites are part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Their content is produced independently from our newsrooms.